CCMusic.com

Six years after the purely acoustic album Morning Walks, composer and pianist Martin Brunner releases his new recording, Levels of Life. It is defined by a markedly rock sound and besides the classical piano it also features the polyphonic analogue synthesizer Prophet 6. Brunner's musical partners here are his colleagues from the so-called Martin Brunner Band: Tomas Fuchs on the guitar, Rastislav Uhrik on the bass and Roman Vicha on the drums. All three are musicians who easily cross the boundaries between musical genres; as players equipped with jazz erudition and wealth of experience, they return here to the music of their youth, yet with the necessary sense of detachment. Writing the compositions gathered on the album, Brunner worked much more sparingly than in his previous projects, allowing more space for the creativity of his colleagues whose abundant experience in rock and pop music is an important feature of the recording. The result is naturally flowing music and sound that shows esteem for classical rock and fusions with jazz, funk and disco, without losing any of it's authenticity and progressiveness. The "return to the music of one's youth", which is a mantra for all the musicians involved, endows the album with a refreshing effortlessness and directness.